About the Companies Listed in the Canadian Importers Database

The companies listed in this database consist of firms that import specific products into Canada through Customs. The database consists of the names of the companies as well as their locations (city, province and postal code). Companies include both Customs Brokers and their clients. The database includes Non-Resident Importers, companies which have addresses outside of Canada.

Major Importers

Only the "Major Importers" are listed, these being defined as the companies which collectively make up the top 80% of all imports (in terms of $ value) for a particular product or a particular city.

It should be noted that "Major Importers" are determined on a national basis (All Canada) for a given product. Company lists for a particular province or Canadian territory are subsets of the list generated for "All Canada".

Summary data showing the total dollar value for import transactions is also presented for each individual product. However, no values are associated with individual company names and the listings are alphabetical to protect business confidentiality.

The data is collected by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) from documentation supplied by the importers or their agents, and organized into a database summarizing all the transactions for a given year. The data in the Canadian Importers Database applies only to the calendar year 2006. The database will be replaced with information for the next latest year when it becomes available.

Also, the database excludes information for:

• Goods brought into the country by individuals
• Returned goods
• Imports of certain controlled goods and of military arms and supplies

The names of the companies appearing in reports reflect the information captured from the source documentation (see section on the commercial import process) and as such may in certain cases contain spelling errors or differ from the legal name.

Also, because the information applies to transactions in the 2006 calendar year, any recent changes in company name or status will not be reflected herein.

Industry Canada's mandate to supply the information contained in the Canadian Importers Database is outlined in Section 16(3) of the Department of Industry Act which states that:

"the Minister may publish lists of names and addresses of some or all importers or exporters of a product or group of products with trade values aggregated in such a manner as to protect the confidentiality of data concerning individual importers or exporters"

To protect business confidentiality in accordance with this specific mandate, the Statistics Act and other pertinent legislation, the following rules are applied:

• Import quantities or dollar values for individual companies are not divulged.
• No list of names is given if one company accounts for 80% or more of the total imports AND unless there are at least three importers of the product.
• The names are listed in alphabetical order.
• Only company names are divulged. The names of individuals are not divulged.

The information contained in the Canadian Importers Database is collected within the framework of the existing commercial import process.

In order to bring non-prohibited goods into Canada, importers must:

• provide the proper documents to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
• calculate and declare the value for duty of the imported goods (according to the valuation provisions of the Customs Act);
• make sure that the goods are properly marked with their country of origin;
• pay any duties that apply.

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) licenses customs brokers to carry out customs-related responsibilities on behalf of their clients. A broker's services include:

• obtaining release of the imported goods;
• paying any duties that apply;
• obtaining, preparing, and presenting or transmitting the necessary documents or data;
• maintaining records; and
• responding to any Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) concerns after payment.

Clients have to pay a fee for these services, which the brokerage firm establishes.

Non-Resident Importers are companies that import goods into Canada but which have addresses outside of Canada.

These companies are required to have a Business Number (BN) and an import/export account registered with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

Most non-resident importers have addresses in the United States. In these cases, the U.S. state is indicated in listings of "Major Importers" and no postal code information is displayed.